


Leaves From the Bi (Jet/Sokka/Zuko)

by lia233



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ba Sing Se, Bisexuality, Book 2, Demisexuality, Eventual Smut, Fluff, M/M, Mostly Canon Timeline Though, Romance, Smut, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2020-05-13 23:18:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19261168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lia233/pseuds/lia233
Summary: Zuko loved Mai. She was perfection to him, and he still thinks he loves her. Sokka loved Suki. She taught him how to love, and he will never forget how much she changed him. Jet, well, Jet isn't sure he's loved anybody. He's tried to love before, but he never seems to be attracted to any of the pretty girls or handsome boys of Ba Sing Se.Somehow, they will become each other's everything and will find themselves together. Even if Jet still kinda hates Zuko for his firebending, and even though Zuko still kinda wants to capture Aang. Sokka just wants some meat and to forget the other two's stupidity and brash anger.Angsty character development for all these boys with their sucky pasts and confusion over their sexualities. Short chapters and sucky smut later on because I am a child of God. I might actually write this story if I get off my ass.





	1. Sokka

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU where they end up staying in Ba Sing Se until the invasion. Azula gets found out when she tries to pass as a Kyoshi warrior by Team Avatar, and Zuko becomes Aang’s firebending teacher while he’s in Ba Sing Se. Jet doesn’t get brainwashed by the Dai Lee. He still stalks Zuko and Iroh but that goes completely differently. I honestly would have stayed closer to the canon timeline except I couldn’t be bothered to look up the script for the episodes lmao.

Sokka really wanted to just find Appa and get the heck out of Ba Sing Se. This city was crazier than the flipping Fire Nation. Thing was though, those pesky Dai Lee agents were keeping Team Avatar from doing _anything_. He sighed as he thought of Long Feng and his stupid green fire and threats. It was funny how similar he was to the Fire Lord. He used fire, threats, and manipulation to get what he wanted.

          His stomach grumbled, and he stopped working on making crappy missing posters of Appa. He had plenty of time until the others came back to make fun of his art skills, so he decided to get some meat to fill his stomach. At least they were treated like nobility in Ba Sing Se and he could buy pretty much whatever he wanted. Even if he wanted to hit Joo Dee with his boomerang most of the time, and he was constantly being watched.

          He spotted a nice-looking tea shop that he had never noticed before. It was called the Jasmine Dragon, and he wondered if they served anything other than tea. He walked in, and quickly found a seat at a table. Looking down at the table, he sighed. He wondered how long it would take before they could find Appa and get out of this place, Earth King be damned. Sure, he needed the Earth Nation’s army for the invasion, but damnit, the Dai Lee sucked. Maybe he could convince an army of sabertooth moose-lions to beat the crud out of the Fire Nation instead.

          A blur of moving robes cascaded over his peripheral vision, and he looked up at the server so he could order some tea and ask about any other food they served. But what he saw shocked Sokka.

          Holy Spirits. Nope, nope, nope, THIS COULD NOT BE HAPPENING. Standing there, looking just as shocked as Sokka, was mother-flipping Zuko. Prince of the _Fire Nation._ Sokka really hated Zuko’s determination to track Aang wherever he went.

          “What the heck are you doing here? Trying to capture Aang!?” Sokka really resented how instead of shouting his voice cracked and it was more like a weird whisper-wail of teenage angst.

          Zuko looked unsure of what to say, probably because he didn’t want to out himself as Fire Nation in a room full of Earthbenders in a giant city of Earthbenders and the Dai Lee. Even if there was no war in Ba Sing Se.

          But finally, past his shock and fear, Zuko said something, “I didn’t mean to disrespect you sir. Follow me and we can discuss your grievance so I can properly apologize to you on behalf of the Jasmine Dragon,” Zuko gestured with a forced smile that made Sokka want to retch. The saccharine sweet employee tone obviously meant to keep the Upper Ring idiots from getting suspicious.

Sokka really didn’t want to follow Zuko. He wanted to expose him in from of everyone here. What stupid game was Zuko playing here?

Sokka’s expression hardened, and he practically spat out, “Why should I? You’re Fi-mmpphk” Zuko did not just slap his hand over Sokka’s mouth. Sokka was a man. A manly man from the Southern Water Tribe. His ego was bruised.

“Look here, Water Tribe. If you expose me, the Dai Lee will punish both of us because there is no war in Ba Sing Se. I don’t exactly like you, but we need to talk _privately_ alright?” Some of his usual venom was back, but it was still masked under sweetness. Sokka wasn’t sure what the patrons of this tea shop would think if they saw Zuko’s hand over Sokka’s mouth though.

Sokka nodded against Zuko’s hand. He had a point, and Sokka couldn’t risk getting thrown in jail by the stupid Dai Lee. Even if Zuko would get thrown in jail too. Zuko hesitantly removed his hand, and Sokka realized how soft and warm his paler hand had been. He kind of missed it, now that he thought about it. Nope, nope, nope, nope. You do not miss touching that hot-headed, arrogant, evil Fire Nation hand. You do not. Bad Sokka. Sokka realized he had been staring at Zuko’s cool butterscotch eyes when Zuko’s eyebrows pinched together in an expression of weirded-out confusion. ‘All right, Sokka, what the Spirit World is wrong with you today?’, he thought to himself.  

“So, uh, where did you want to discuss the fact that you refused to serve me seal jerky?” Zuko looked at him with an unimpressed glare, and sighed. Maybe that had been a terrible excuse for an entitled rich snob voice, but Zuko had just slapped a hand over his mouth. Maybe it had been so that they weren’t both screwed, but still. Sokka had really tried, alright?

“Right this way, sir,” Zuko visibly gritted his teeth as he motioned Sokka to a hallway in the restaurant. Sokka just wanted to strangle Zuko now that they were out of sight. Maybe the Dai Lee would be okay if he just killed Zuko instead of exposing him as the prince of the stupid Fire Nation.

Sokka practically stomped into the dusty supply closet Zuko wanted to chat in. This was turning into a terrible day, and he hadn’t even had any meat to make him feel better.

 

 

 

         


	2. Jet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jet spies on Li. Basically chapter 1 from Jet's POV.  
> Jet is a creep.

          Jet was ready to murder those sly firebenders. They thought they could be happy after taking away happiness from so many innocent people. They thought they could be normal in Ba Sing Se. Jet wanted to slit that grouchy teenagers throat open, the little shit. He felt kind of bad about wanting to kill the old man, but he was still a monster. He was still Fire Nation.

          Jet knew that he was being irrational with his hate and anger at this point. This was supposed to be a fresh start. He couldn’t stop the feelings of blazing rage and anger that had made him want to flood that village, killing so many people. He couldn’t stop. He was a freedom fighter, and he would be until he died.

          Spying on the old man and his nephew was quickly becoming his new favorite hobby. It was becoming his obsession. Li was pretending to be worthy of pity with that ugly burn scar across his face. The old man was pretending to be kind and respectable. Both were scum. They were Fire Nation.

          Watching them work at Pao Family Tea House seared his insides with anger. Watching their happiness at their apartment, their camaraderie and family bond made him furious. He would never get to do that with his family. His family was dead because of the Fire Nation. His family was dead because of people like them. His family was dead because of them. They didn’t deserve to live when his family would never get to live again.

          Fuck what Smellerbee or Longshot thought. They didn’t understand. He had everything he cared about taken away by the Fire Nation not once, but twice. His parents. His freedom fighters. He refused to believe it was really because they were disgusted with his desire to kill everyone in that village. It was because of the Fire Nation. Jet wasn’t about to let the Fire Nation take away everything again. He couldn’t let it happen. He had been powerless when he was a child against the Fire Nation. He no longer was. He could take these bastards down.

          Jet sighed. It was rather tiring watching the old man and his nephew, waiting for them to slip up. The city was buzzing, a dull roar of background noise and life. It was hard to digest that nobody knew but him that there were firebenders threatening their safety. Nobody but him. The Impenetrable City wasn’t so impenetrable after all. Watching from the roof would attract too much attention from the Dai Li, so he decided to walk into the tea shop. Sure, he wanted to throw up looking at Li and Mushi, but he needed to catch them.

          He ordered a cup of ginseng from the damn boy called Li. The teen didn’t seem to remember him from the ferry. Jet was offended. He thought his speech about outcasts was memorable enough, considering it had attracted a large following in the forest. Li’s brownish black hair was messy, his pale-gold eyes would have been handsome if they didn’t scream _Fire._ He was toned and pale, his skin’s only visible flaw was the angry burn scar across his face. Jet didn’t mind the scar so much as who it belonged to. On anyone who wasn’t from the damned Fire Nation, it would have represented the bravery and honor of a fierce warrior, but on Li, it just represented the cruelty of his countrymen.

          He looked around with suspicious eyes, trying to spot anything amiss. Anything that could show that they were firebenders. The whining creak of the shop’s door opening made him glance at the entrance. _Shit._ He was screwed. There was that damned kid Sokka, looking as dweeby and sarcastic as ever in Water Tribe blue. He needed to leave now, before Sokka could notice him. Jet knew neither Katara nor the Avatar could be far behind him, and he really didn’t want to face any more of their retribution. Jet knew Katara and Aang had both probably improved their bending, and he wasn’t sure he would just be frozen to a tree this time.

          Sokka sat down at a table, _right next to Jet’s,_ and Jet weighed his options. Going for the door without paying would get him in trouble for theft, and he couldn’t risk the attention from the authorities. Not to mention, it would raise suspicion, and Sokka might notice him because of it. Just act natural, he might not even see you. Drink your tea, pay, and get the heck out of dodge. Praying to the spirits, he hoped Sokka wouldn’t recognize Jet.

          Li walked up to Sokka to take his order. Sokka looked up, and both he and Li visibly paled. Shock was more prominent on both of their faces than Li’s scar, and Jet tilted his head in curiosity. What was going on with those two? They acted a lot like how he envisioned his and Katara’s reunion would be. Had those two dated in the past? Bad breakup? Jet winced for Sokka’s sake. He might not like the guy, but he felt bad for Sokka if he had dated Fire Nation scum like Li.

“What the heck are you doing here? Trying to capture Aang!?” Sokka’s voice cracked in the middle of his angry outburst. Wait, what? Jet had been reading this situation _all wrong_. Was Li one of the numerous firebenders who had tried to capture Aang in the past? Was he Prince Zuko? No, he couldn’t be.

          This was an interesting situation. Jet leaned in a little, cupping his hand around his ear to try to hear more. He smirked as he listened to them, as Li tried to act like Sokka was just an offended customer.

          He smirked as he finally got the evidence that he’d been looking for from Sokka, “Why should I? You’re Fi-mmpphk,” It was also kinda funny seeing someone shut Sokka up; he was normally more annoying than a bad, street performing tsungi horn player.

          “Look here, Water Tribe. If you expose me, the Dai Lee will punish both of us because there is no war in Ba Sing Se. I don’t exactly like you, but we need to talk _privately_ alright?” Li admonished quietly; his tone was sweetened but sour all the same. Jet could see the wheels turning in Sokka’s thick skull as his eyebrows unfurrowed a bit, then furrowed more.

          “So, uh, where did you want to discuss the fact that you refused to serve me seal jerky?” Jet nearly slapped a hand on his forehead for one reason: Sokka’s lack of subtlety. Couldn’t he come at situations a little less like a spitting Komodo Rhino and more like a slippery tiger-eel? Jet saw the exasperation he felt mirrored on Li’s face, and he almost smiled. He didn’t, though, because he couldn’t smile because of the Fire Nation. He couldn’t.

          “Right this way, sir,” Li smiled, his expression almost a grimace. They got up, and Jet waited a minute then followed them.

          The dingy hall was creaky. Despite Jet’s stealth and light feet from the forest, small whimpers of the floorboards moving could still be heard. Jet hoped Sokka and Li would mistake it as their own footsteps creating the creaks.

They closed the door behind them as they entered a small closet, and, scurrying closer, Jet put his ear to the thin wooden door. 


	3. Chapter 3

Zuko was ready to breathe out fire, damn it all. This was infuriating: for once he was just trying to live his life. He wasn’t just banished; he was a fugitive of the Fire Nation. The best he could do was to live in Ba Sing Se, and someone was threatening that.

          ”Listen, Sokka,” He muttered, “I’m not here to spy or capture your precious Avatar,”

          “Then what are you doing here, Zuko?” Sokka questioned, oblivious.

          “Li! Address me as Li. Don’t use that name here,” Zuko panicked a little. They may be in the back of the shop, but someone might hear. If he was outed as Fire Nation, the least he could do was not be discovered as the _Prince_ of the damn place.

          “Fine, whatever,” Sokka rolled his eyes. Zuko would bet his 2 silver coins and 3 copper coins in his pocket that Sokka was still going to use the name Zuko. Then again, Sokka also hated him. Zuko wasn’t exactly in his good books. Trying to capture his best friend (not to mention, the only hope for the world) wasn’t exactly conducive to having a friendly relationship. Plus, he’d burned down his girlfriend’s island. “Tell me what the fuck you’re doing here in Ba Sing Se then, Jerk,”

          “Trying to hide from my sister,” Zuko said, like that explained everything. Sokka wasn’t exactly sure what that meant for Zuko’s situation, but he had met Azula. She was one crazy bitch.

          “Okay, but why?”

          “I’m sort of a fugitive,”

          “Okay?”

          “My father doesn’t exactly like me, right now,” Sokka nodded for him to continue, and Zuko said, “I’m a failure and he wants me gone,” Zuko looked down a little and looked back up again. His golden eyes looked like lava, then.

          “Gone?” Sokka’s eyebrows scrunched together. Zuko didn’t bother to reply: it wasn’t any of Sokka’s business whether or not his father wanted him dead or imprisoned or whatever else.

          “Anyways, are you going to give me over to the Dai Li or what?”

          “I don’t know. On one hand, you’re a super scary firebender who has attempted to stop Aang from patching the world up with his cool Avatar powers, and on the other, well, I kind of feel bad for you,”

          “Don’t feel bad for me! There’s nothing to pity about me!” Zuko roared a bit, steam escaping his nose. He was a prince! He was so much more honorable than Sokka even if he was a failure.

          “Calm down, edgelord. If there’s nothing to pity, I might just reveal to all the creepy Dai Li agents who you are,”

          Something like shame curled in Zuko’s belly: hot, thick, and awful. He was going to have to let his pride go for his survival. Sure, he’d done so before, but never like this. Even the stunt in the North Pole, his failure, wasn’t being pinned tighter than Azula’s hair under the _mercy_ of a peasant.

          “Besides, how can I believe you? Even if I did, what’s stopping you from trying to get your daddy issues resolved through Aang?”

          The comfortable feeling of rage that had swallowed him since his banishment fell back into place. It wasn’t who he was sure, but it was the feeling his father wouldn’t hate. Maybe it wasn’t as calculated and cold and perfect as Azula, but it wasn’t soft, either. “Don’t believe me. I’m not going to jeopardize my life here to capture Aang. I doubt my father would even take me back if I captured the Avatar. If you want the goddamn proof, look at my face. My father doesn’t want me back,”

          With that, Zuko opened the door of the closet. That was alright. What was not alright was that creep Jet from the ferry falling so gracelessly into the closet. A far cry from his usual lithe and poised self.

          Sokka’s eyes were wider than saucers, and he took a step back, knocking against the wall. “Jet? Oh Spirits, I’m pretty sure the world is trying to make me jump off of a bridge. I mean come on, I get to see both of you jerks in one day?” His melodramatics were on point. Sokka sure knew how to feel sorry for himself.

          Zuko didn’t really pay attention to him; he was more focused on the absolute rage in Jet’s brown-black eyes. He looked like he wanted to murder Zuko. He must have heard their damn conversation.

          Oh crap. The boy who wanted to blow up the entire fucking Fire Nation knew he was a firebender.

          Jet dusted himself off and snarled, “You dirty ashmaker!”

          “That’s original,” Sokka snorted, “Jet if you really wanna offend him, bring up his honor,”

          Jet looked at Sokka then looked at Zuko. He looked pained as he took his enemy’s advice, “You dishonorable asshole!”

          Sokka looked proud of Jet, through his hatred. Zuko snorted but didn’t bother to retort. Maybe it stung, but he couldn’t show that. He was getting better at controlling himself, slowly but surely. He just never seemed to be able to when he needed to the most.

          Zuko really just wanted to curl up on his stupid apartment’s bed and sleep. No, he wanted to sleep in the gardens of the Royal Place. He missed his home. Was it really his anymore?

          “Alright, so now that you’ve got your insult out of the way, Jet, we should really talk,”

          “Yeah. We should,” Zuko was tense, his fists clenched. He was breathing deeply, ready to firebend. He wouldn’t due to his likely discovery, but he wanted to burn those smirks off so bad.

 

 

 

 

         

         

 

         

 

           

 

         

 

 

         


End file.
